HOW A TENNIS PLAYER PLAYED HIMSELF OUT.

Shannon News, 19 April 1922, Page 3

HOW A TENNIS PLAYER PLAYED HIMSELF OUT.

WANT OF FORM

STRANGE CASE AT SHANNON

On Wednesday last, the kith inst., a man named Alexander Stewart blew into Shannon. He was travelling light; in fact—just as he stood—no' money, no luggage, nothing. But Alec had a glib tongue and a ready wit, and was not the sort of man to stand idle and go without a drink, so he bowled along ’to a well-known local butcher and tried a tale on* lilm. He told him how he was a great tennis player, and being a bit of a sport, the citizen became interested at once, and they both talked tennis for a long time. In fact, Stewart talked and played so well that he finished up by getting 10/ from the knight of the cleaver. Stewart then left and went straight to the pub to try and fix up the thirst acquired from his bout at tennis. Alter he ..had a few he must have fell in good form, because he then went along to another local sport—a hairdresser this timearid introduced himself as an old tennis player. This immediately got the barber interested, and he knocked off work to talk the game with Stewart. Stewart must have' won, for he got 10/ on the strength of- the tale he told. " Stewart went back to his first friend next morning and put the hard on him for •another few bob, but the butcher’s heart had hardened considerably since the previous day, and he turned Stewart down 'flat. This must have disheartened the old termjs player, because he went ,to the station and got on the train, intending to leave for some other place with more room for his active nature. Rut hard luck now seemed to set in for Alec, for before the train started the police called him off to have a word with him. And they did not like the tale he told the townsmen when he got the money. As a result Jjtewart was taken into custody as a rogue and a vagabond. He was brought before lire Court at Shanndn on the 13th. Messrs. Spencer and Gunning were on the bench, and both his victims gave evidence which Alec didn’t think it was any good trying to contradict. As a result he got a month’s “hard” in Wellnigton. It will be hard for Alec to-be a whole month and no tennis. He went' off by the 8 a.m. train on Goo'd Friday, and a constable lyent with him as escort in case he would be lonely on his own. The only thing Alec has now goj, to cheer him for a month is the anticipation of the pleasure he will have when he gets out spending the money he has left, as the result of his tennis games at Shannon.